Transfer of the Body to the Church
(All make the Sign of the Cross)
GREETING
Dear friends in Christ,
in the name of Jesus
and of his Church,
we gather to pray
for our dearly beloved (N...)
that God may bring him/her
to everlasting peace and rest.
We share the pain of loss
but the promise
of eternal life gives us hope.
Let us comfort one another
with these words.
Let us find courage and faith in the Word of God.
SCRIPTURE VERSE (Rom 6:8-9)
Minister:
We believe that
having died with Christ,
we shall return to life with him.
Christ, as we know,
having been raised
from the dead,
will never die again.
Death has no power
over him any more.
(Let us pray in silence.)
Minister:
Dear friends,
our Lord comes
to raise the dead and comforts us
with the solace of his love.
Let us praise the Lord Jesus Christ.
Word of God,
Creator of the earth
to which (N...) now returns,
in baptism you called him/her
to eternal life
to praise your Father forever.
Lord, have mercy.
Response: Lord, have mercy.
Son of God,
you raise up the just
and clothe them
with the glory of your kingdom.
Lord, have mercy.
Response: Lord, have mercy.
Crucified Lord,
you protect the soul of (N...)
by the power of your cross
and on the day of your coming
you will show mercy
to all the faithful departed.
Lord, have mercy.
Response: Lord, have mercy.
Judge of the living and the dead,
at your voice the tombs will open
and all the just
who sleep in your peace
will rise and sing
the glory of God.
Lord, have mercy.
Response: Lord, have mercy.
All praise to you,
Jesus our Saviour.
Death is in your hands
and all the living
depend on you alone.
Lord, have mercy.
Response: Lord, have mercy.
(The Minister now sprinkles the body with Holy Water and blesses it.)
THE LORDS' PRAYER
At the Saviour's command
and formed by divine teaching,
we dare to say:
All:
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven.
Give us this day
our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
CONCLUDING PRAYER
Minister:
Lord, (N...) is gone now
from this earthly dwelling
and has left behind all those
who mourn his/ her absence.
Grant that we may hold
his/her memory dear,
never bitter for what we have lost
nor in regret for the past,
but always in hope
of the eternal kingdom
where you will
bring us together again.
This we ask through Christ our Lord.
All : Amen.
INVITATION TO THE PROCESSION
Minister:
The Lord guards
our coming in and going out.
May God be with us today
as we make this last journey
with our brother/sister.